| | Associated Press
SANTANDER, Spain -- Shrugging off John McEnroe's crack that
Spain often chokes in Davis Cup play, Albert Costa and Alex
Corretja swept their singles matches Friday to launch Spain's bid
to return to the finals for the first time in 33 years.
Spain needs one victory in the remaining three matches to earn a
spot in the finals, where it can win its first Davis Cup title by
beating Australia in December.
|  | | Todd Martin was broken three consecutive times in the second set on Friday. |
"It's not entirely shocking," McEnroe said. "Everyone knew it
wouldn't be easy. These guys are rough on clay.
"This is tailor-made for them. If they can't take advantage of
this, they'll win the Davis Cup in 3000."
Costa's tough 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Todd Martin in the
90-degree heat and 90 percent humidity of this seaside resort
ruined perhaps the best chance the United States had of winning one
of the first three matches and avoiding a sweep in the first two
days.
About 13,000 fans packed the temporary stands erected near the
beach for these matches, and the steel-pipe structure swayed when
they clapped rhythmically or stomped their feet amid cheers for the
Spaniards.
Costa camped out behind the baseline for most of the match on
the slow red clay, and wore down Martin with deep, heavy topspin
shots and an array of drops and lobs.
Martin had held a 13-2 record on clay against Spaniards, but he
served poorly throughout this match, making only 53 percent of his
first serves, and committed more than twice as many unforced errors
as Costa.
By the time Martin was broken for the third straight service
game in the second set he looked exhausted.
The pressure then was on Jan-Michael Gambill, and he responded
with an inspired start against Corretja, Spain's top player, before
falling 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in 3 hours, 18 minutes.
As Costa rested after his match, his thoughts turned to
Corretja.
"Alex has a very difficult match," Costa said. "Perhaps you
don't think it is so. To be there (in the final) ... you have to
suffer, and you have to win."
Costa was right. Corretja did suffer, fighting off cramps in the
fourth set before winning.
Gambill played almost flawlessly in the first set. He started
off with three aces in the first game and two more in his second
service game, and rarely missed from the baseline or the net. But
as the match wore on, Corretja's deep, heavy baseline shots, passes
and lobs took their toll on Gambill, who was coming off an
impressive quarterfinal finish at Wimbledon.
Gambill finished with 17 aces, but his unforced error count grew
from seven in the first set to a total of 51, compared to
Corretja's total of just 27.
Doubles are scheduled for Saturday in the best-of-five match
competition, with the reverse singles Sunday. McEnroe said he's
thinking about putting Gambill or Martin with Chris Woodruff for
doubles, rather than Woodruff and Vince Spadea as originally
announced. But there's no way, McEnroe said, that Martin could play
three matches.
The United States has come back from an 0-2 deficit only once
since the Davis Cup began in 1900. That was in 1934, when the
Americans beat Australia at Wimbledon.
"I had a lot of opportunities," Gambill said. "There's really
no excuse for me not to win. I didn't really serve great when it
counted. Right now I'm (angry) at the world. I didn't want to come
here and lose."
"We had a difficult time of things before today," Martin said,
understating the Americans' problems with the absence of Pete
Sampras and Andre Agassi.
McEnroe, the team captain, figured if he couldn't beat Spain
with his racket, he would try to do it with his mouth.
On the eve of the semifinals, he chided Spain for never winning
the cup and reaching the finals only twice -- in 1965 and 1967.
"I've been surprised that they've underachieved and choked so
often," McEnroe said after the draw.
It was a comment designed to put more pressure on the Spanish
players, who are heavily favored to beat a second-tier American
team.
McEnroe spoke of how the Spanish players throughout the years,
even when they had great players like Manolo Santana or Manuel
Orantes, failed to live up to their potential. Perhaps it was the
burden of expectations, he suggested, or perhaps it was something
about their defensive, baseline style.
Either way, McEnroe said, there's nothing guaranteed about a
Spanish victory this time.
That assessment looked rather lame after Spain's wins in the
first two matches.
U.S. teams have won the Davis Cup 31 times since the first
matches in 1900, more than any other nation, and have beaten Spain
in three of their four meetings. Yet, all that history didn't
impress Corretja.
"I think that it's very clear that Spain has never won,"
Corretja said. "What I don't know is if the (American) team that
has come here has won the Davis Cup many times, too. So I think
we're in the same situation."
In fact, the only American on this team to have been part of a
winning Davis Cup effort is Martin in 1995. That team also had
Sampras, Agassi and Jim Courier. | |
ALSO SEE
Spain wins doubles, sends U.S. packing from Davis Cup
Friday's results
Chat wrap: Patrick McEnroe
Captain's choice: McEnroe won't play in Davis Cup
Sweden, France, Switzerland take 2-0 Davis Cup leads
AUDIO/VIDEO
 John McEnroe and the U.S. had a tough first day.
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